Amp Page Url Has Canonical Url Which Is Not Found 4Xx: How to Fix This Technical SEO Issue

Understanding AMP and Canonical URLs

What are AMP pages and their importance

Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) represent a web framework designed to create lightning-fast mobile experiences. Research shows that AMP pages can load up to 600% faster, reducing load times from 6 seconds to just 1 second ^[1].

This speed improvement matters significantly, as 53% of mobile site visits are abandoned if pages take longer than 3 seconds to load ^[2]. The importance of page speed extends beyond user satisfaction to directly impact business metrics.

Pages that load in 2 seconds experience a 9% bounce rate, while those taking 5 seconds see bounce rates soar to 38% ^[2]. However, it's important to note that as of 2024-2025, AMP is no longer considered a direct ranking factor by Google ^[3].

The role of canonical URLs in AMP implementation

Canonical URLs serve as the foundation of proper AMP implementation, acting as a bridge between your AMP and non-AMP content. Every AMP page must include a canonical tag that points to either the original non-AMP version or itself if it's a standalone AMP page ^[4].

This requirement isn't optional—it's mandatory for all AMP pages to function correctly within search engines. The canonical relationship ensures that search engines understand which version of your content is the primary source.

When properly configured, canonical tags consolidate ranking signals and prevent duplicate content issues. This becomes especially important since Google removed the AMP requirement for Top Stories carousel in 2021, making proper canonical implementation even more critical for SEO success ^[5].

Common issues with AMP canonical URLs

Several problems frequently arise with AMP canonical implementations that can severely impact your site's search performance. The most critical issue occurs when AMP pages contain canonical URLs that return 4xx status codes, essentially pointing to non-existent pages.

Other common problems include missing canonical tags, self-referencing canonicals on paired AMP pages, and canonical URLs that redirect rather than returning a 200 status code. These issues often stem from content management system updates, URL structure changes, or improper AMP plugin configurations.

When canonical URLs break, search engines lose the ability to properly associate your AMP pages with their source content, potentially leading to indexing problems and lost organic traffic.

Identifying 4xx Errors in AMP Canonical URLs

Using Google Search Console to detect AMP issues

Google Search Console provides comprehensive AMP monitoring through its dedicated AMP status report. This report displays all crawled AMP pages with issues, sorted by severity level to help you prioritize fixes ^[6].

The console categorizes problems as errors, warnings, or valid pages with warnings, making it easy to identify critical canonical URL issues. To access these insights, navigate to the AMP section in Search Console and review the error details.

Each issue includes example URLs and discovery dates, allowing you to track when problems first appeared. The tool also provides validation testing after you've implemented fixes, confirming that your corrections resolve the identified issues.

Using SEO tools for bulk AMP audits

Professional SEO tools offer powerful capabilities for identifying AMP canonical issues at scale. Screaming Frog's SEO Spider provides both free (limited to 500 URLs) and paid versions (£149/year) that can audit your entire site's AMP implementation ^[7].

The tool specifically checks for missing canonicals, incorrect canonical configurations, and 4xx errors in canonical URLs. Sitebulb represents another robust option, analyzing over 300 technical issues including AMP canonical errors ^[8].

This tool categorizes AMP canonical 4xx errors as critical issues, providing detailed reports on affected pages and their specific problems. These bulk auditing tools save considerable time compared to manual checking, especially for large websites with thousands of AMP pages.

Manual inspection techniques for AMP canonical URLs

Manual inspection remains valuable for spot-checking individual pages or verifying automated tool findings. The AMP Validator Browser Extension, available for Chrome and Opera browsers, provides instant validation feedback as you browse AMP pages ^[9].

This extension highlights validation errors directly in your browser, making it easy to identify canonical URL problems during development or troubleshooting. For deeper inspection, viewing the page source reveals the canonical tag implementation details.

Look for the “ tag in the HTML head section and manually check the referenced URL’s status code. This hands-on approach helps you understand exactly how your canonical tags are configured and whether they’re pointing to valid, accessible pages.

Amp Page Url Has Canonical Url Which Is Not Found 4Xx: Causes and Implications

Reasons behind 4xx errors in canonical URLs

The primary causes of 4xx errors in AMP canonical URLs typically stem from content management and site structure changes. When non-AMP pages are deleted or URLs are restructured without updating corresponding AMP pages, canonical tags continue pointing to non-existent locations.

Plugin updates or CMS migrations can also break canonical relationships, especially when URL patterns change or content is reorganized. These errors are classified as "Critical" issues because they fundamentally break the relationship between AMP and source content ^[10].

Additional causes include staging environment URLs accidentally deployed to production, expired content that wasn't properly redirected, and manual canonical tag implementations with typos or incorrect URL formatting.

Impact on search engine crawling and indexing

When canonical URLs return 4xx status codes, search engines cannot consolidate ranking signals between AMP and non-AMP versions ^[10]. Google may completely ignore canonical tags pointing to 404 pages and instead index a different page than intended ^[10].

This confusion disrupts the search engine's understanding of your content hierarchy and can lead to improper page indexing. The crawling budget also suffers when search engines encounter broken canonicals, as bots waste resources attempting to access non-existent pages.

This inefficiency can reduce the frequency of crawling for your valid pages, potentially delaying the discovery of new content or updates to existing pages.

Potential consequences for user experience and SEO

Pages can completely disappear from search results when Google incorrectly associates URLs due to broken canonical relationships ^[11]. This visibility loss directly impacts organic traffic and can severely affect your site's search performance.

Users clicking on search results may encounter error pages if Google indexes the AMP version but cannot properly associate it with valid content. Broken canonicals also split link equity between pages rather than consolidating it to the preferred version ^[12].

This dilution of ranking signals weakens your pages' ability to compete in search results. Additionally, users experience frustration when encountering broken pages, damaging your brand's credibility and increasing bounce rates.

Resolving 4xx Errors in AMP Canonical URLs

Correcting incorrect canonical URL implementations

Three main solutions exist for fixing AMP canonical 4xx errors: republishing the missing pages, updating canonical URLs to point to valid pages, or implementing proper redirects for AMP URLs ^[13]. The chosen solution depends on whether the original content should exist and your overall content strategy.

Start by auditing all affected AMP pages to understand the scope of the problem. Canonical URLs must return a 200 status code—never 404, 301, or any other response ^[14].

If the original content has moved, update the canonical tag to point directly to the new URL rather than relying on redirects. This direct reference ensures search engines receive clear signals about your content relationships.

Addressing server-side issues causing 4xx errors

Server configuration problems sometimes cause valid pages to return 4xx errors incorrectly. Check your server logs to identify whether the canonical URLs truly don't exist or if server rules are blocking access.

Permissions issues, IP restrictions, or incorrect rewrite rules can all cause false 4xx responses. For WordPress sites, the Redirection plugin can help setup proper redirects using regex patterns like `/(.

*)/amp` to handle bulk AMP URL management ^[13]. However, remember that redirecting isn't always the solution—canonical URLs should point to final destinations, not intermediate redirect chains.

Updating AMP pages with proper canonical references

For paired AMP implementations, ensure the non-AMP page includes `rel="amphtml"` pointing to the AMP version, while the AMP page's canonical points back to the non-AMP page ^[14]. This bidirectional relationship helps search engines understand the connection between both versions.

Standalone AMP pages must include self-referencing canonical tags, pointing to their own URL ^[14]. When removing AMP pages entirely, Google recommends using HTTP 301 or 302 redirects to guide users and search engines to appropriate alternative content ^[15].

Update your XML sitemaps to remove deprecated AMP URLs and ensure all internal links point to current, valid pages. This comprehensive approach prevents future canonical issues from emerging.

Preventing Future AMP Canonical URL Issues

Implementing a robust AMP validation process

Establish a validation workflow that checks every AMP page before it goes live on your site. AMP pages must be valid before being served from Google's AMP Cache, making pre-publication validation essential ^[16].

Integrate AMP validation into your development process, running checks during staging and before deployment to production. Create documentation outlining your AMP implementation standards, including canonical tag requirements and URL structure conventions.

This reference material helps maintain consistency across your team and reduces the likelihood of implementation errors. Regular training sessions ensure all team members understand proper AMP canonical configuration.

Regular monitoring and auditing of AMP pages

Schedule monthly audits using Google Search Console to monitor your AMP page health and catch issues early ^[17]. Pay special attention to Core Web Vitals metrics, ensuring your Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) occurs within 2. 5 seconds ^[17].

These regular check-ins help you identify patterns in errors and address systemic issues before they impact your search visibility. Perform comprehensive audits whenever plugins are updated or your CMS undergoes changes ^[18]. Plugin updates can inadvertently modify how canonical tags are generated or break existing implementations.

Set up automated monitoring alerts for critical AMP errors, allowing you to respond quickly when issues arise.

Best practices for maintaining AMP and canonical URL integrity

Recognize that AMP pages require ongoing commitment and maintenance to remain effective ^[19]. Establish clear processes for content updates, ensuring that any changes to non-AMP pages trigger corresponding updates to their AMP counterparts.

This synchronized approach maintains canonical URL accuracy across your entire site. Document your URL structure and maintain a mapping between AMP and non-AMP pages, especially during site migrations or redesigns.

Before making any structural changes, assess the impact on existing canonical relationships and plan necessary updates. Consider implementing automated testing that verifies canonical URLs return proper status codes, catching issues before they affect your live site.